ZEUS: MASTER OF OLYMPUS DEMO README NOVEMBER 1, 2000 _______________________________________________________________________ [ To read this file, select Word Wrap from the menu above ] TO ORDER: Please call Sierra On-line sales support at 1-800-757-7707 Or visit http://Zeus.ImpressionsGames.com _______________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS I] MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS II] HOW TO START THE DEMO III] HOW TO PLAY THE DEMO IV] WHAT'S NOT IN THE DEMO I] MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ======================================================================= Pentium 166 Mhz 32 Mb RAM Windows 95/98.ME/2000* 83 Mb Install size 100 Mb Swap file on your Windows drive. Video card with at least 2 Mb of Memory capable of 800x600 resolution at 16 bit (High color) color depth. DirectX 7.0 or higher -- Please visit http://www.microsoft.com/directx/ to download the latest version of DirectX, if necessary. RECOMMENDED SYSTEM Pentium 266 Mhz or better 64 Mb RAM Video card with at least 8 Mb of memory DirectX compatible sound card II] HOW TO START THE DEMO ======================================================================= 1) After downloading the Zeus Demo, double-click on the demo install .exe 2) Once the Zeus demo has installed, restart your computer. 3) Select Impressions Games -> Zeus Demo from the Start menu. III] HOW TO PLAY THE DEMO ======================================================================= Read the Instructions Read the in-game help and the episode briefings carefully, they provide invaluable information on how to play Zeus. Explore the Interface. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the interface, learning what each tab and button does. The Zeus interface provides a vast array of options and feedback, take advantage of it! Watch your money Don't forget to build a palace and some tax offices, this will help offset costs until your city can start generating income. If you find yourself in financial trouble, reduce wages or increase taxes. But remember these are only temporary fixes. Asking other cities for help is also a great immediate solution to financial problems. Remember that your money carries over from episode to episode: Whatever money you end up with at the end of episode 1 is the amount of money you'll start with at the beginning of episode 2. Shift labor Labor shortages are often unavoidable. In these cases you might want to temporarily shift labor away from less-essential sectors of the workforce to concentrate on your city's immediate needs. Raising wages will draw more workers from your existing population, but don't do this for too long, or you could wind up broke. Watch your employment numbers Click the Industry tab and monitor the number of vacant jobs or unemployed people there are in your city, and make sure you don't have too many of either. A little bit of unemployment is better than a worker shortage, especially in a small city. Don't build new services if you are already short of workers. Customize your Storehouses Try customizing your storehouses so that they accept only one or two types of goods each each. This should make it is easier to keep track of your city's resources. For example, build a storehouse near your olive press and grower's lodges and set it to accept only olives and olive oil. Pace yourself Take the time now and then to gauge your situation. In some situations you'll have to build quickly to meet goals, requests, or demands. In other instances you won't be able to do everything at once - you'll have to bide your time until the right opportunity presents itself (trade opens up, a resource or new building becomes available, you receive a gift, you're issued a quest, etc.). Use foresight in city planning Keep in mind that usable land is often limited. When constructing new buildings, take care to leave appropriate space for structures you may need to build in the future. Suck up to your neighbors Give other leaders gifts of goods or money now and then, especially if you have an excess of goods that you can afford to part with. Goods they need or buy will have the most effect. Pay attention to other leaders' requests and fulfill them when you can. It always pays to have a few favors you can pull in when you're in a jam. Butter up your Rivals If you are very nice to your rivals, even they may be willing to provide you with goods when you are in need of them. Listen to your people Citizens of your city will tell you what they think about living in the city. Right click on them to hear what they have to say. Lay out roads carefully The fewer intersections walkers encounter, the more efficient they will be. Try to plan your neighborhoods so that YOU are deciding where the walkers go and not leaving the decision up to them. Roadblocks are very useful for this purpose. Decrease Walker Travel Distance The closer a workshop is to its source of raw materials, the higher its annual production will be. Also try to minimize the distance that workers such as Herders, Growers, and Miners have to travel. Protect your Palace Always protect your Palace. If an enemy army destroys your Palace, your city will be conquered, and you will be forced to pay tribute to the conqueror. Moving Your Entire Military To move multiple standards at once, click on one (which will bring up the company orders interface on the Control Panel), then drag a box around all of the standards that you want to select. Scroll to the desired location, and click to place all of the standards. This multiple selection method can also be used to issue commands to several companies at once. Leave Standards in the field Leave company standards at the site of battle after you send your troops home. Often enemies will approach from the same direction. You can save time mustering your troops if you already have their standards at a spot where the enemy is likely to attack. Using Culture Venues The Theater and Podium act as 'magnets' for their respective walkers coming from training facilities. Actors and philosophers from the Drama School and College, respectively, will head straight for these venues, ignoring roadblocks on their way. Keep this in mind as you try to plan for culture in your city. IV] WHAT'S NOT IN THE DEMO ======================================================================= Continue the story of Hercules in the full version of Zeus, PLUS be a part of other famous adventures like: · The Trojan War · The Voyages of Jason and the Argonauts · The Legend of Perseus · Theseus and the Minotaur · The legendary rivalry between Athens and Sparta, and the Peloponnesian War This is just a taste of the wonder of ancient Greece you'll experience when you buy the full version of the game: · 12 gods, each with his or her own unique Sanctuary · 6 heroes and 12 monsters, including Medusa, Cyclops and the Kraken · Over 50 allies and rivals - trade, use diplomacy, raid them for supplies, or invade and make them your vassals. · Meet the Amazons, host the Pan-Hellenic games, and build lots of other structures not available in the demo · You decide where to expand with multiple colonies · Open-ended missions that let you build a city any way you want. Visit the Zeus website for more information (http://zeus.impressionsgames.com) or order online at the Sierra Store at (http://www.sierra.com/store/quicksheet?SKU=71117). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sierra's end user license agreement, limited warranty and return policy is set forth in the EULA.txt, which can be viewed during the install of the product. Copyright (2000 Sierra On-Line, Inc.)